CBD and Epilepsy

August 16, 2017

Epilepsy and CBD

Epilepsy. The mere sight of the word can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. A neurological disorder that affects more than 65 million people worldwide. A disorder so widespread that 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop some form of epilepsy in their lifetime. Currently, there is no cure or age restrictions for epilepsy. It can be such a debilitating battle that people have no choice but to turn to prescription drugs. This disorder has had a chokehold on people and their loved ones for far too long. With the emergence of CBD a new hope has risen.

To understand the relationship between CBD and epilepsy one must understand what epilepsy is. Epilepsy is most known for the seizures it brings upon people. What people may not understand is that epilepsy varies from person-to-person in severity and origin. Epilepsy can be passed down from generation to generation, or be the repercussions of a head injury or a stroke. It can also originate from absolutely freaking nowhere. Seriously, the scariest element of epilepsy is how little we know about where it beings and how severe it will become. The seizures are similar when referring to the “unknown”. People have no idea when a seizure will happen. The constant fear of a seizure looming over someone’s head can cause stress, anxiety, and even depression.

The American Epilepsy Society (AES) have been conducting studies on the effects of CBD and epilepsy. One study in particular has found CBD to be effective in reducing both frequency and severity of seizures in both adults and children. The study, which goes by the longest name in history, found that CBD reduced seizures by 45%. CBD is effective in combating epilepsy because of those cannabinoid receptors we touched on in the last blog. A receptor known as CB1 resides in the brain. Adding CBD to this receptor allows for a positive biological response to counteract the genesis of seizures.

CBD may not be the silver bullet we want but, it is a monumental step in the right direction. Building our awareness about this disorder is of the utmost importance. This heinous disorder is on the proverbial chopping block. We look forward to constantly building our knowledge about this disorder and dropping it to its knees.